


Full Moon Ficlet #383 - Code

by JoMouse



Series: Full Moon Ficlets [14]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Codes & Ciphers, Don't copy to another site, Established Relationship, Love Confessions, M/M, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24561958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoMouse/pseuds/JoMouse
Summary: Stiles sends Derek a coded message but doesn't include the key.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Full Moon Ficlets [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1652395
Comments: 10
Kudos: 156
Collections: Full Moon Ficlet Prompt #383: Code





	Full Moon Ficlet #383 - Code

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings and salutations.
> 
> Not a lot of notes this week. I'm in the middle of a long stretch at work and really didn't even think I'd get this finished, tbh.
> 
> Unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own. Please let me know if there are any glaring grammatical or spelling errors.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Derek laughed as Isaac handed him the envelope. It wasn’t sealed and he was certain that he’d peeked inside, confusion on his face as Derek extracted the singled sheet of paper. He then turned the envelope over and frowned when nothing fell out. “Was this all that was in the envelope?” he asked. 

Isaac nodded and then hurried out the door he’d just walked in through; Derek was beginning to regret taking the teenager into his home. He heard him laughing as he headed down, calling Scott on the phone and making plans and his regrets disappeared. He stared down at the paper, shaking his head as he looked over the jumbles of letters that should make up words.

The coded notes from Stiles had started as a necessity when they were keeping their relationship a secret from the rest of the pack, but since they’d been discovered  _ in flagrante _ by Isaac in the lake in the middle of the preserve, but occasionally Stiles still sent the coded messages from time to time.

It was a simple Caesar code and he even had a site bookmarked to decode it quickly, but the problem was that there was no key to the code this time. He checked the envelope again in hopes that there would be something anything to give him a clue. Usually, it was a couple of coins and the monetary value was the key. There had been other hints but the coins were the most common and really what he depended upon.

He pulled his phone out and texted Stiles.  _ I think Isaac stole the key. _

It was only a moment later when he got a response.  _ No, he didn’t. I just didn’t want to make it too easy on you. _

Derek dropped to the couch and buried his face in his hands, letting out a groan. He knew Stiles was upset when he’d told Isaac that the code was a simple one and that it didn’t take a lot of effort to decipher. He rubbed his hands over his face, prepared to give up and just go through the website and make his way through each number of the key. There are only 26 possible cyphers; it shouldn’t take too long.

His phone buzzed as he picked it up with another message from Stiles.  _ Lacrosse practice is running late. Still in my jersey. _

Derek narrowed his eyes as he read the confusing words. Isaac was out of practice, so there was no reason for Stiles to still be in practice and it would be foolish to lie about it when the proof was in Isaac delivering the message to him. Why did he care if Stiles was still in his jersey? 

He pushed to his feet and scrubbed his hands through his hair, frustration growing in his stomach and chest as he tried to figure out what was going on. He strode across the loft to the kitchen and went to pull open the fridge, stopping as he always did when he saw the photo of him and Stiles from after the final game of the previous season. Stiles was a mess, having scored the winning goal before falling facefirst in the mud. Derek’s smile was wide; he’d been so proud of the win and even prouder when Stiles had launched himself at him and hugged him in front of everyone, including his father.

John hadn’t been thrilled, but he got over it quickly and called Derek son before giving them a joint shovel speech that was aimed more at Stiles than himself. He’d then forced them next to each other and held his phone up to take a picture. Derek tapped the photo and stopped as his eyes fell to Stiles’ jersey. The white ‘24,’ despite being covered in mud, stood out against the burgundy.

Shaking his head, thinking it couldn’t be that obvious, he opened the site on his phone and carefully typed in Stiles’ message. He changed the shift to twenty-four and watched as the text was translated.

As he started to read the words, he could hear familiar footsteps climbing slowly up the stairs outside the loft and he hurried to finish reading before Stiles go there, but he stumbled over the last four words, his breath getting caught in his throat.

_ Sometimes it's easier to say things in writing than in person. And sometimes it's even easier to say them in code. I've been so lucky to call you mine for the last year and I needed to tell you that without question and at risk of rejection: I love you, Sourwolf. _

He looked up from his phone to see Stiles standing in the doorway to the loft, his jersey on and hair sticking up at odd angles. He was running a hand through his still shower-damp hair and chewing his lower lip. His eyes darted anywhere except to Derek, allowing him to move quickly and quietly to stand in front of him.

He gently cupped Stiles’ chin in his hands, reminiscent of the first time he’d allowed himself to get so close to the boy he was already falling in love with, and just like that night, he leaned in and brushed their lips together.

“I love you, too.”

Stiles’ smile was wide enough to spread to Derek’s face as they shared the words between them. As the full moon rose, shining through the windows and bathing the both of them in a glow, they continued to share the words both verbally and physically until they heard the door to the loft opening and Isaac’s voice shouting at them, “Break it up! There are children present!” 

Derek buried his face in Stiles’ chest, laughing and feeling happier and more settled than he had in a very long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say 'hi' on tumblr. I'm 'josjournal' over there!


End file.
